


Less Than Human

by Jmags_WriterofAwesomeness



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fitz attempts to get over his framework shit, Fitzsimmons trying to accept their dark sides, Hurt and comfort, Post 5x06, Teeny bit of angst, attempt at canon compliancy!, sorting out guilt from past experiences, tiny bit of nudity and sex, tw: mentions of slavery and objectification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 07:47:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13383360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jmags_WriterofAwesomeness/pseuds/Jmags_WriterofAwesomeness
Summary: After escaping Kasius's Inhuman fight ring, Jemma and Fitz have a couple of hours to themselves after sealing off one of the Tree labs.  While a knocked-out Daisy sleeps off her head injury, Jemma talks about her enslavement to Kasius, which makes Fitz have an unexpected revelation.  Together, they attempt to work out their personal demons before planning their escape to Fitz's space ship.





	Less Than Human

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So, I haven't written a full-length fic like this since August, but I really hope you like it! The idea popped into my head after watching 5x06 a couple (hundred) times and an unexpected connection kind of clicked in my brain, and this fic is my way of illustrating that "connection" and how that affects both of them. It became a little messy (to me, at least) as I wrote the ending, but my beta @chid-anagonye says it's fine as is so I posted it that way as well!
> 
> (Also, just wanted everyone to know that I've created a psued, nerdlove4thewin, that some fics will be posted under from time to time so people can more easily recognize my writing and who I am on both AO3 and Tumblr)

The cool air of the Lighthouse washes over Jemma as she discards her robe.  She closes her eyes and savors the feeling.  Although the air is stale, cooped up in its cage for way too long, she prefers being enveloped in itself instead of feeling the occasional _whoosh_ of cold whenever she had to be in the presence of Kasius.  She fails to repress a small smile as she runs her finger tips over her arms, satisfied that she is able to see them again.

Settling herself onto one of the lab benches, giving no care in the world that she is completely naked and god knows if these stainless steel tables are even sanitary, she waits, swinging her feet nervously.  “Okay, I’m ready,” she murmurs.

Fitz wrings out the washcloth slowly, and he can’t help but skim his eyes over the course of her body.  Right in front of him was pure perfection, in every single form, and she was someday going to be his wife.  

He gapes at her briefly, admiring the natural curves of her body, before getting to work.

Jemma feels the damp washcloth streak across her forehead, and she sighs in relief, exhaling the breath of her enslavement she had been holding for days.  It dissipates into the air, yearning to be forgotten.

But she looks down, and it is still there, gold rivers flowing down a pale riverbed, trickling down the freckles on her shoulders and over the curves of her skin.  She cringes at the reminder, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.  She’s been freed of the white robe and heavy gold paint, but the shame of her capture still lingers over her skin like a ghost.

“Jemma?”

It’s Fitz, and he’s staring at her, concern hiding in the blue of his eyes.  She averts her gaze and remains quiet.  “I probably already know the answer, but are you okay?”

She barely nods.  “I’m fine.”

“Do you want to-“

“Not now, Fitz.”  He stops briefly at her abruptness, then slowly continues to wipe the paint away.  She absentmindedly picks at the sleeve of his leather jacket.  “All I want is you.”

His hand freezes, then moves to remove the band on her neck.  “Want me…how?” Fitz inquires, voice cracking, making sure to not assume anything by the tone of her voice, especially with his face so close to her breasts.

“In every way possible,” she responds, her voice uncharacteristically husky.  She uses his scarf to gently tug him up for a kiss, the warmth of his lips on hers resonating through her body.  “We need to consummate the engagement, after all.”

“I—I would definitely love to do that,” he gasps as Jemma’s lips find his neck, nipping at the sensitive skin.  “But are you sure this is the right time?”

Jemma sighs.  “When will there ever be a right time, Fitz?  We’re in hiding from killer Kree warriors in the bloody future.”

“Yeah, but Daisy is in the other room and—“

“She’s _sleeping_ , Fitz.  Probably has a minor concussion, too.  She’ll be out for a while.”

“I just…” Fitz gently tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.  “I just want this to be special.”

Jemma rolls her eyes, trying to appear nonchalant, even though she can hear her heart beating in her chest.  “Of course it is, Fitz,” she replies as she gets to work on discarding his jacket.  “Not just because we’re in the future, that’s an added bonus.”

“ _Jemma.”_ The change in his tone causes her smile to fade.  “This is the first time I’ve seen in you in 74 years.  I…”. He stares at her, eyes wandering, not sure exactly where to look.  “I just can’t believe we’re _here_ and together and you’re…” His hands slide down her arms, sending shivers up her spine.  “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.  You always have been.  And I never thought we would _ever_ get to that point after all we’ve been through.  I want to savor this moment.  Savor _you._ ”

She can’t help but blush.  Her Fitz, her _fiancé,_ always the romantic.  Her fingers run through his curls as she grins up at him. “Well, now you have your chance.”

Gentle, loving kisses were followed by searing, passionate ones, with hands roaming over clothes that quickly morphed into bare skin, the events of the past temporarily replaced with moans and gasps as two bodies yearned to be one once more.  Lingering gazes and mumbled “I love you”s were haphazardly mixed with smooth yet desperate thrusts, enough for Jemma to shout so loudly she was scared that she would reveal their location to any Kree looking for them.

Finishing with a satisfied groan, Fitz whisks Jemma off the table to an emergency bunk, where they laid entangled under the itchy covers.  Even entranced by the dim light bouncing off her naked shoulder, Fitz could not ignore the defensive position of her body as he curled around her, as if for some reason she was shielding herself from harm.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks her quietly.

Even her post-orgasmic daze could not yield him a straight answer.  “Not yet,” she mumbles, soon slipping into a restless, uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

Hours later, god knows how many, both of them awake to pounding footsteps and yelling outside, only for the sounds to quickly disappear into the distance. Jemma figured it was Kree guards interacting with the humans in one way or another, but what this meant to their immediate safety, she did not know.

She settles back against the wall of the bunk, her heart pounding in her ears. It was exhausting, constantly living on the edge like this, fearing for her life, Fitz’s life, and that of the team day after day.  Different planets, dimensions, and even time travel…when would it all end?

“It’s going to be okay, Jemma.”  Fitz places a comforting hand on her back.  “Kasius isn’t a hasty man.”  She raises her eyebrow.  “Or…Kree alien, uh, thing,” he corrects himself.  “He’s going to round up his resources and look for us when he and his brother are at their strongest again.”

“I’m glad I slit his throat,” Jemma murmurs.  She’s not sure if she’s saying it to herself or to Fitz, but it feels good to get that off her chest.  “Even if it didn’t kill him.”

Fitz blinks at her, moving his hand up and down her back.  He shouldn’t be surprised by such statements by now, as Jemma had expressed interest, even _tried_ to do it herself, in killing Ward in the past, but it still throws him off nonetheless.  Although he has accepted his dark side, which Jemma had accomplished long before he did, it was strange to see it leak out during times like this.

“Every time I think about his hand running down my cheek…it makes me _sick_ ,” she seethes.  Her hand subconsciously balls into a fist.  “Like I was some…trophy or prize or something.  He treated me like I was—“

_AIDA._

Fitz takes in a sharp breath, the android’s words echoing in his brain. “Less than human?” he questions softly, his eyes clouding over.

Jemma nods, biting her lip so hard she thought she could taste blood.  She feels the urge to rock back and forth in her seat, the anxiety is so intense, but she chooses to wrap her arms around her legs, trying to make the pain, the anger, and the shame go away.  “Yes, like I was less than him and the other alien species.  And Daisy…all they saw in her was money and power, just like any other villain we've encountered that wants to exploit Inhumans.”

Fitz refuses to speak for a brief moment, so many emotions were hitting him at once:  relief and happiness that they were finally engaged and made it out safely, but also anger, guilt, and sadness over Jemma’s suffering. He didn’t know how, but _something_ he did had landed her in that situation, forcing Jemma to relinquish one of the senses that allowed her intellect to shine, putting her in a humiliating position of dehumanizing objectification, the same way AIDA had felt after reading the Darkhold. He had felt bad for AIDA as his Framework self, believing that AIDA passing through dimensions and creating her Madame Hydra persona freed her from her chains, and despite all that has transpired since then, he has never fully been able to erase the guilt from putting her in that position in the first place.

“Fitz, look at me.”  He startles at the sound of her voice.  “I see the gears in your head spinning.  AIDA was not your fault, it was Radcliffe giving her the Darkhold that caused all of this to happen.”

“Jemma—“  Fitz gulps, staring down at his lap as he twiddled his thumbs.  “Not in a million years, not _ever_ , did I want you to experience something like that.”  His voice is garbled, choking out his thoughts that were suddenly weighing down on his conscious, unable to comprehend what has happened, what _he_ has put into motion.  “I can’t even tell you how sorry I am that you had to go through all of that.  No one should have to suffer like that, to be silenced and put on a pedestal like Kasius did with you.”

“Fitz,” Jemma sighs, pulling his nervous hands into hers.  The slight caress of her thumb over his knuckles calms him down a bit, even though it still feels like the world is spinning around him. “This happens to people all the time.  “Different races, ethnicities, and genders are silenced and objectified in all kinds of circumstances.  Humans exhibit a power complex that is inherently wired in our DNA, combined with all the societal constructs that have been around for centuries, and it’s inevitable that some people will use that power to—“

“Simmons, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better,” Fitz interrupts her, sending her a reassuring smile.  “And you have been the most amazing girlfriend I could have ever asked for, especially after everything that happened in the Framework.  But this, this is…something I’m still working out on my own, and just finally seeing you after 74 years in a cryofreeze chamber is the best medicine I could have asked for.”

Jemma frowns.  “Okay, I understand.  But you know, I’m never leaving you again either.  I’ll always be here for you no matter what.”

Fitz smiles, kissing her temple, and she leans her head into the crook of his neck.  “I know.  We’re always better, together.”

They sit for a few moments in silent thought until Jemma’s head shoots up.  “74 years in a cryofreeze chamber? You’re joking, right?”

Fitz shakes his head.  “Not even a little bit.”

“So you…were frozen in there…for all that time?” Jemma somehow got out in the midst of her shock.

He nods his head.  “Mhm.”

“I…I can’t believe you did that,” Jemma says, once again resting her head on his shoulder.  “That’s such a long time…”

“I’ve done crazier things before,” Fitz chuckles.  “Like diving through a hole in the universe.”

Jemma smiles.  The things Fitz will do for the ones he loves…another one of the many reasons why she has fallen so deeply in love with him. “Am I really that worth it?”

She doesn’t even mean for the words to come out of her mouth, but they tumble out anyway. Fitz’s mouth drops open, and his eyebrows raise, as if to say _You’re kidding me, right?_  “Of…of course you are!” He stutters, like she had just uttered the most absurd statement he has ever heard. “You’re…you’re…the love of my life, my everything, you really think I could just my life without you knowing that I didn’t at least try to get you back?”

“I know, I know,” Jemma apologizes.  “I just can’t shake off this shame for some reason, I’m sorry.  Kasius just made me feel like I wasn’t worth more than just my looks.”

Fitz chuckles softly.  “Trust me, you are much more than a pretty face, Jemma Simmons.”

Their conversation is interrupted by a groan, and Daisy’s voice echoes through the lab.  “Fitz, Simmons, where the hell are you guys?”

Glancing down at their current state, naked and only covered by thin cotton sheets, Jemma shivers.  “We better get dressed.  I should go check on her condition.”

“I’ll go check on the doors.  Should hold them off long enough for us to come up with a plan.”

As she cautiously slips out from under the covers, Fitz takes her hand.  “You are _always_ enough, no matter what anyone says."  His eyes bore into her intensely.  "Please remember that, for me.”

“I will,” she murmurs.  At the same time, Jemma gives him a stern look.  “That applies to you, too.”

“Agreed.”  He shakes her hand awkwardly, and they both grab their clothes. Fitz tosses her an extra pair of clothes found in the emergency stash of supplies, and she slips them on, a wave of relief washing over her to be in real, _human_ clothes again.

She slowly pulls her hair back with a ponytail and tightens it with a sharp yank, not caring about the pain.  Noticing Fitz in the corner adjusting his scarf, she can’t help but grin, albeit with an air of caution.  They _were_ going to make it out of this alive, and they were going to do it together.

With a renowned sense of confidence and self-worth, Jemma makes her way over to where Daisy is, slumped against the wall and clutching her head in pain.  “Please make the room stop spinning,” she groans, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Don’t worry, Daisy,” Jemma chirps.  “We’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is greatly appreciated! Would really like to know your guys' thoughts and opinions so I can improve on my writing now that I've started up again :).


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